Scene 1

SUKRACHARYA: Jajati, you have deceived my daughter, and you have deceived me. While you were married to my daughter, Devajani, you also got married to Sharmishtha secretly, and she has given you three sons. You have deceived us badly. Without my knowledge, without my daughter’s knowledge, you did all this. You deserve severe punishment from me. I curse you. You will be paralysed. You will not be able to move at all from now on. The end of your life has come. (Jajati falls to the ground and cannot move at all.) Old age will enter into you immediately. (Jajati’s whole face changes.)

JAJATI: Forgive me, forgive me, Father I have done a terrible thing to your daughter and to you. Is there any way I can be forgiven?

SUKRACHARYA: No forgiveness for a rascal like you! But I can tell you only this, that if anybody is willing to take your paralysis on himself, and to take on your old age, he can do so, and you will be freed. Then, eventually, if you want to take these sufferings back again, you can. If nobody agrees, if nobody will take on your paralysis and your dotage, then you will have to suffer in this condition until the end of your life.

JAJATI: Oh, I am so grateful to you! I have so many devoted sons. I am sure one of them will do this for me. I have two sons by your daughter, Devajani, and three sons by Sharmishtha. I am sure one of them at least will gladly listen to me. Why only one? All of them will listen. Everybody will be eager to fulfil my desire. I am always so kind to them; they are so affectionate to me. I am so proud of them; they are so fond of me. I am grateful to you, Father.

(Exit Sukracharya.)